The 56th Hunger Games
by Evaelin
Summary: It's the year of the 56th Hunger Games, and the odds are NOT in Jayden Solgen's favor. Or are they? If she wins, she could bring fame and fortune to her district, as well as a better future for her little sister. Follow her in her Hunger Games, and see the outcome unfold. OC. Rated T for Hunger Games. Work In-Progress. Please read and review!
1. District 9

The golden fronds waved as a warm breeze blew through the fields Jayden Solgen was working. The slight girl sighed, resting on the butt of her sickle for a moment, wiping the sweat off her brow. District 9 painted a beautiful picture, but when the burning sun beats down every moment of the day, a Panem citizen could really get sick of the picturesque scene.

The breeze that brought mild relief also carried the crack of a whip, followed by an agonized scream. Jayden froze, as the sound brought her back four years. Jayden had not had an easy childhood; but luckily, or unluckily, however you looked at it, it had been incredibly short – almost nonexistent, as was custom in the lower districts.

Jayden was born in District 9 to loving parents and a perfect role model older brother. At age 6, her older brother, Jon, died in a horrible threshing accident, turned into mulch in the new corn. At that time, her younger sister was not yet born. Jayden cried for a month, and her mother rocked her to sleep every night, singing to her, and making her extra food to appease the little girl.

Two and a half years later, Jayden's sister Jellika was born. At age 9, Jayden's father died being whipped at the post after trying to steal cow's milk for Jayden's little sister, since Jayden's mother's milk had dried up too early from malnutrition. Jayden and her mother were forced to watch. Jayden cried, but only for a week this time around.

After that, her mother had no money to send Jayden to school and feed her family, so Jayden was taken out of school to work the fields. This stunted her growth, keeping her shorter than all her better off peers. Every day in the fields, which were close to the whipping post, Jayden had to see another one of her townspeople whipped as punishment for trying to stay alive, or trying to keep their families alive.

Slowly, the whippings had stopped affecting Jayden. Jayden worked as hard as she could to feed her little baby sister, who was the little bundle of joy she came home to every day. As soon as Jayden could, she began taking out tesserae, lots and lots of tesserae, so that her sister could keep growing and continue to go to school.

This year, Jellika was old enough to grasp the concept of the Hunger Games, and had incessantly asked Jayden about the Games. It broke Jayden's heart to see her little Jellybean look up at Jayden with huge eyes, and ask Jayden to promise to never leave her for the Games.

Six tesserae. That's all she'd taken out these years she'd been eligible for tesserae. Truthfully, Jayden was thankful for the tesserae system – it meant that she could feed her sister and save money from work, when her family really needed it. It was the Peacekeepers she hated. The Peacekeepers, who had killed her father. The Peacekeepers, who had kept the entire district in their palms cowering in fear. The Peacekeepers, who hid behind their batons. The Peacekeepers, who kept her and her family from being as happy and as whole as it could be.

That night, Jayden came home to the smell of baking bread. Even though grains were more common in District 9, and therefore the citizens had more to eat, Jayden couldn't get over her mother's freshly baked bread, which was still her absolute favorite. But seeing at her mother's face, and seeing the batch of new bread sitting on the table, Jayden knew something was wrong.

"_Ma_," Jayden stumbled forward, heart clenching as she thought of her Jellybean, "_Who_?"

At the sound of soft footsteps padding over, Jayden's knees suddenly grew weak, and Jayden had to grab the table edge to keep herself steady.

"Jelly," she whispered, not even turning her head. With one swoop, Jayden grabbed her little plump sister and squeezed her eyes shut, breathing in the baby-smell of her hair.

Opening her eyes again, Jayden looked cautiously at her mother, who had stepped closer to her two daughters. "It's Rinn," her mother named a close friend of hers. "She only wanted fresh fruit, and they'd just had a new shipment. Rinn didn't think they'd miss any, but the Peacekeepers were bored, I suppose. They caught her."

Remembering the screams from earlier, Jayden covered Jellika's ears gently. "She didn't make it," Jayden's mother whispered, voice cracking.

Jayden closed her eyes to take refuge in the darkness. A few deep breaths later, she sat down at the table, setting Jellika down next to her. Their mother took a seat across from them, and offered the girls a roll. Jayden broke a piece off automatically, and fed it to Jellika, who took it happily and began chewing.

It only took a few minutes for Jellika to realize that her older sister wasn't eating at all. Jellika leaned against Jayden, and clambered up, kissing her sister on the cheek, then took her own piece of bread to put into her older sister's mouth. The sweet little girl brought out a smile on Jayden's face, and Jayden shook her head at the kindness the little girl showed. Jayden took the piece of bread, and looked across the table. Their mother's tears had stopped, and in the cool shelter of their home, nothing seemed to be wrong with the world.

A week later, bread was on the table again. But this time, Jayden knew why her favorite treat was back. It was the same reason that she actually kind of enjoyed work today, savoring it, knowing it might be her last.

Tomorrow was the day of the Reaping.

At the dinner table, Jellika sat in Jayden's lap, sucking her thumb. Jayden had tried to get her little sister to kick this nervous habit, but her Jelly always reverted back to thumb sucking for comfort.

"Jay-en," Jellika lisped, through the thumb in her mouth, "It's a big day tomorrow, promise you don't leave? Promise you stay."

Jayden spun her sister around on her lap. She looked her sister in the eye, and told her, "I will always protect you. I will always be here for you. You, you never need to worry. Ever."

Jellika was appeased, but Jayden nowhere near as calm as she'd made her sister think she was. That night, the potential tribute didn't sleep very well at all. Jayden tossed and turned, senses heightened to be aware of every sensation, every sight, knowing full well it could be one of her last. Though she was exhausted from the day's work, Jayden couldn't fall into the deep, obliterating sleep she desperately craved.

The moon shone dimly through her shades, casting a soft glow on her sheets. Hopping out of bed, she flung aside the coarse fabric, the very existence of which marked her and her family as better off than perhaps half the population of the district. The stars swirled at what seemed to be a faster pace than usual, and soon, the sky was tinged with hues of purples and pinks, into light blues.

When the birds started their song, Jayden decided it was time to officially "wake up." Lacing up her worn out boots, she headed outside to complete her chores for the day, knowing her mother wouldn't be able to finish them all if Jayden had to…leave.

She swept the kitchen floor, and cleaned out their fire from last night. An hour later, she left the house to make rounds in the market and buy their groceries for that day. There were always plenty of coarse grains that could be bought at a cheap price, but Jayden had an understanding with the owner of the farm that she worked on, who allowed Jayden to take some of what she reaped home to feed her family.

Being early to the market always ensured a few good deals, as the merchants had little to no customers and more time to haggle. Jayden picked up an eggplant, a stalk of slightly withered celery, and a small pumpkin to take home, and arrived back at her door just in time for breakfast - barley soup that Jellika gulped down as soon as it was placed in front of her, but that Jayden couldn't even bring herself to look at.

After breakfast, Jayden's mother sat behind her daughter in front of the one mirror in their house, a relic of the old days from when both Jayden's father and her older brother had been alive, and they could afford such luxuries. Brushing out Jayden's loosely curled hair took a while, and was a rather painful process, but the silky smooth outcome was worth the pain. Jayden's mother brushed for a while longer than was necessary, and both mother and daughter sat as if in a trance, savoring these peaceful moments together.

Jayden quickly slipped into the dark purple dress one size too small that she'd worn for every Reaping since the first. The color, frankly, clashed with her dark red hair, but it had been all that they could afford. The finishing touch was a glass bead necklace that shone like crystals against Jayden's tanned skin, her token if she were ever Reaped. It had been her parents' tenth anniversary gift from Jayden's late grandmother to her mother.

One brief hug from her mother later, and Jayden and her family were out the door.

Coming into the main town square, Jayden was taken aback once again at the extravagance of the setup. The stage itself probably cost more than District 9 did. All the technology and the artificial lights, the technicians skittering around, making last minute changes, and the mentors lolling to the side made Jayden sick to her stomach with nerves.

It took a while to pry Jelly off her leg, and hand her to their mother, but Jayden was too soon rounded into the thirteen-year-old pen in front of the stage. A couple of her old school friends saw her, but looked away as they hadn't talked for a couple of years after Jayden had left school. One boy smiled tentatively at the brown-eyed, red-haired Jayden, who scowled back in reply. The boy, Frond Atken, had been one of her close friends back in the day - she'd hung out more with the boys, running around and muddying her clothes, rather than with the girls, who spent all their time gossiping, even at the tender young age of eight, copying their parents' habits. That, of course, was before Jayden had found out that Frond was the son of one of the Peacekeepers who had stood by and watched her father be whipped to death. No citizen was supposed to be killed unless they were on death row, but the Peacekeepers had been bored that day, and the Capitol never came to check on the lower Districts, so no one had stopped before it was too late. Jayden clenched her fists and glared at the ground, fingernails denting the flesh of her palm.

Suddenly, the bustle quieted and the stage lights grew bright, very bright.

A peppy, tracker jacker venom colored woman hopped out onto the gloss of the stage floor with a flourish of her arms. Her lips were the shape of a dark green heart, and she wore an emerald green jumpsuit. Jayden had never seen skin so smooth or stiletto heels so pointy before. In her heart, she was afraid that the District 7 escort's shoes would leave dents on the excessively exorbitant stage. The escort grabbed the emerald encrusted microphone from its stand, which was there more for show than for utility, winked, and blew a kiss at the frozen audience.

The Reaping was to begin.


	2. First Choice

Finlee Finch, the District 9 escort, had babbled for what seemed to be ages, before the Mayor cleared his throat, and stepped forward. He droned on and on about the history of Panem, and how lucky the town was to have this opportunity to show their loyalty to the Capitol. Jayden willed the Mayor to speak faster, so that she could get back home and maybe go to the fields again, to work some of her nervous energy off, even though today it wasn't required that she go to work. All the better for her, the fields would be empty, and she wouldn't have to deal with any of the noise the other workers made.

Almost before the Mayor was finished with his last sentence, Finlee Finch scooped up her microphone again, pressing it to her lips, smudging her lipstick ever so slightly. "Ah, the excitement!" She sounded uncomfortably short of breath.

Jayden rolled her eyes.

"Laaadies first!" Finlee Finch trilled. The children, who had been beginning to get restless and whisper amongst each other, went silent again. From further back, Jayden could hear the rustle of money changing hands as the older men and women of the District traded bets on who would be reaped, a habit picked up most likely from the Capitol.

Finlee Finch grabbed a handful of slips, her long fingernails piercing and ripping a few. Jayden shuddered and blinked, looking away from the bowl. The escort let the slips fall one by one back into the bowl until only one remained in her grip.

"Let's see," Finlee Finch unfolded the slip dramatically, pausing at awkward angles for the camera floating nearby. "Who is the lucky girl who gets to represent her wonderful District in the Games this year?"

Jayden clenched her jaw, exhaling through her nose. The trembling girl standing next to Jayden turned to glare at the sudden noise.

Finlee Finch slipped green-tinted, emerald encrusted glasses over the bridge of her nose, and read the name silently to herself. Throwing the slip aside, she positively trembled with excitement. "And the lucky girl is…one Jayden Solgen!"

Angry growls and a badly masked, soft, triumphant whoop were heard from the back.

Jayden's eyes widened, and she stiffened, breath completely stolen. Her heart pounded, and she found it hard to breathe. She tried to swallow, but a knot had lodged itself in her throat

Finlee Finch looked surprised. "My, my, what was that?" she wondered dreamily towards the back. All the cameras focused on the adults, scanning the crowd to see who had made the noise.

Fixing a serene face, Jayden moved towards the front of the crowd.

"Him," Jayden pointed towards the back at a man she knew only as someone she saw occasionally at the morning market, as soon as she reached the stage. "He was betting that I get reaped," Jayden said viciously.

The disgruntled Peacekeepers who had clearly lost on this bet, headed back towards the man, grabbing him and dragging him away. Jayden smiled slightly at the fear apparent in the man's eyes. Served him right for betting on children's lives.

"Ruthless!" Finlee Finch squealed, "I love it! And I love your hair! Your hair, it's so gorgeous. It'll be my new color block, I think!"

_Color block?_ Jayden wondered briefly before Finlee Finch grabbed Jayden's hand enthusiastically and shook it vigorously. "Congratulations," the escort whispered breathily at the young girl, before turning away to the other bowl of names onstage.

But as if she couldn't hold herself in, Finlee Finch whirled back around and gathered Jayden in a viselike hug, squeezing Jayden and lifting her off the ground. "I just love you so much," the venomously green woman effused.

With that, Finlee Finch grabbed the bowl, proffering it to Jayden. "You pick!" the escort squealed.

Unsure what to do in this situation, Jayden looked to the mentors for help. The quiet male mentor, who everyone knew had been driven crazy because of the screams that came from his house in the Victor's Village every night, looked away uncomfortably. The female mentor, garishly dressed, who spent most of her time in the Capitol, trading her body for favors, stared straight into a camera, pushing her bust forward, smiling and winking, flirting with her invisible audience.

Jayden glanced towards where her mother was standing, holding her little sister. Her mother had turned Jellika's head into her shoulder, so that the little girl wouldn't be able to see what was happening. With her other hand, Jayden's mother had covered her mouth, tears glistening in her eyes.

Jayden broke eye contact first, looking away.

"I – I can't," she mumbled.

Finlee Finch looked surprised.

Jayden cleared her throat. "I mean, I could never take the exciting part away from you, dear."

This time, Finlee Finch looked pleasantly surprised. "Ooh, _such_ a sweetheart," she shrieked, turning pink from the effort.

Finlee Finch grabbed one slip from the top, not even taking her eyes away from Jayden once, glancing down only to quickly read the name. "Front Atken," she read quickly, throwing an arm around Jayden and turning to face the audience again. She beamed at the shocked boy as the camera found him, and the children around him parted to allow him to walk forward.

Jayden's throat suddenly felt dry as the familiar face came up to the stage and stepped up. By that time, Frond had forced a smile on and was waving at the crowd.

"A charming young man," Finlee Finch cooed, grasping Frond by the arm.

Watching eagerly, Finlee Finch told the two young children to shake hands. The two obliged. Jayden didn't look into Frond's face, aiming her eyes slightly to the right of his face for the cameras. Frond stared directly at Jayden.

The handshake lingered, until Finlee Finch impatiently grabbed both their hands, ripping them apart.

Flinging the young tributes' arms into the air, Finlee Finch triumphantly declared them her two best, favorite tributes from District 7 ever.


	3. Last Goodbyes

Jayden's time with her mother and her sister had been far too short. All her mother had time to do was tell her daughter how much faith she had that Jayden could win and come back to their family, and how tough she thought Jayden was. The entire time, Jellika didn't let go of Jayden once.

All too soon, her family was whisked out of the room in the Justice Building and she was left alone again. Jayden observed her surroundings in a haze, noting the costly furniture and the needlessly extravagant decorations, without actually seeing anything.

_This is only used once a year,_ she thought to herself bitterly, _they could at least spread the wealth a bit more evenly_._ All ma and Jelly and I would need is maybe _one_ of these chairs, and we'd be set for a lifetime._

But after the panicky good-bye with her family, the room seemed too large, too cold, and too quiet.

Jayden collapsed into the oversized velvet chair, sinking far down. She drew her knees to her chest, and hugged herself. Finally in a still world, she took a deep breath for the first time in what seemed to be days, but what actually was only the first few hours of the whole Hunger Games experience that she would have to endure.

From outside, in the hall, Jayden could hear a commotion. The sound of Peacekeeper batons hitting flesh thudded out, and Jayden winced, knowing how they felt. She wondered who was on the receiving end, and hoped it wasn't one of her visitor coming to see her for the last time. Jayden couldn't think of anyone who would want to see her, but maybe someone secretly admired her. And if that was the case, then Jayden didn't want her admirer to get hurt.

But then, the creak of a door opening reassured Jayden that the visitor wasn't for her. Sound traveled in the Justice Building, through the vents, and as she stayed very still, she could hear a faint male voice crying out, "Frond, I'm sorry. I didn't expect this to happen."

The commotion outside grew again, and from the blows landed and the anger in the man's voice, Jayden deduced that the Peacekeepers had pulled the man who was visiting Frond out of the room again. _He must've overstayed his time limit_, Jayden thought coolly, shrugging.

Jayden sunk back into her chair again, hugging her arms. The vents carried sound, but it also carried cool air, a strange phenomenon Jayden had never experienced before. It was extremely hot outside, and Jayden wondered where the cool air came from.

_Must be from underground_, Jayden thought.

Leaning her head back, Jayden closed her eyes, and tried to picture Jellika and her mother. A few hours in the Justice building, and Jayden was terrified that she had already forgotten something that was so dear to her. She saw what the Games did to the Victors. No one ever truly won the Hunger Games. Jayden had tried to forget it, and tried to think the best of the Capitol, to make the best of what her world offered her, but when reality sent reminders daily, it was hard to forget what the real world was like.

A sharp rap on the door brought Jayden to her feet, warily looking to see what would happen next.

A Peacekeeper swung the door open, and Jayden had time to briefly glare at him, before a tall, middle-aged man stepped into the room.

"Mr. Ballantyne?" Jayden named her boss, the man who owned the farm she worked on. She'd always thought he was extravagant. He was kind, yet wealthy, and showy about it, but the room she was in made him seem almost dull in comparison.

He cleared his throat awkwardly, and shuffled his foot on the marble floor. "Jayden," he said softly, "I've always been fond of you. You were almost like my daughter."

_Were_, Jayden noted, _almost as if I were already gone_.

Jayden coughed and looked away.

"Anyways," her boss finished quickly, "I always thought you were a strong, independent girl. I'm sure you can do great in these Games too. We're looking forward to getting you back, after all this is over. You know. If you're still willing to work, if you're a Victor, and all."

There was an uncomfortable silence before Jayden smiled and nodded. "Thank you," she said, voice still slightly hoarse from crying not too long ago. She cleared her throat. "Thank you," she said again, stronger this time; "I'll be sure to keep that in mind."

Mr. Ballantyne took a few hesitant steps forward and patted Jayden lightly on the shoulder, before turning away again, leaving quickly.

As the door closed, Jayden shook her head and laughed a short breath before sitting back down again. Too soon, a Peacekeeper came back in and led the way into the chaos outside again.


	4. Hurtling Away

It was only a short walk of blinding light before they reached the train, but Jayden was absolutely sure that the multitude of cameras had gotten a total of hundreds of hours of footage.

Jayden had smiled only briefly for the cameras, but the effort required to pretend that she was excited to possibly never see her family again exhausted her. It was a relief to finally slip through the doors of the train and have them closed behind her.

Not even looking around her, Jayden closed her eyes and leaned against the wall, only to jump away again half a moment later. The walls were _velvety_, not hard, like walls were supposed to be. It gave under her weight and felt soft.

In fact, the walls were made of a red velvet substance. Jayden had never seen this before. What was anyone supposed to do if the walls got dirty?

Stepping back, Jayden took in her surroundings. Red velvet walls, golden paneling, and dark, handmade, wooden furniture.

Jayden peered through the windows, and the scenery on both sides flew by at a frighteningly fast speed. Jayden fell against the wall again, clutching it for dear life. She hadn't felt the train start, but clearly, they were all hurtling through space. Jayden had expected death, but not nearly this soon. She gave a little whimper of fear, and collapsed onto the ground, staying as low as possible, clutching the rug. Why weren't they giving her a fighting chance?

From the ground, Jayden realized that Frond had been standing there all along, as well as Finlee Finch and the mentors from her District.

Angrily, Jayden pulled herself up, brushing herself off all the way. "Why didn't you say anything?" she asked her group, turning away. "Were you all just standing here?"

They all stared at her. "Actually," Finlee Finch piped up, "We came looking for you, since we were all in the common area, and you were nowhere to be found. We all just found you on the ground, here. Say, what _were_ you doing on the floor, darling? It is so dirty there. Come, let's get you changed."

Upset at having let her guard down, Jayden let Finlee Finch pull her up, and usher her into a room inside the train. "The train's going pretty fast, isn't it?" Jayden remarked casually at her hostess, "Can they really control something like this?"

Finlee Finch shrieked with laughter. "Of course they can, sweetheart!" she exclaimed. "Something so little like this – of course they can!"

Jayden turned away before Finlee Finch could see how much Jayden despised the vapid creature that stood before her. A moment later, Jayden turned back with a smile, full force. "Well, of course they can, darling," Jayden copied the Capitolian's mannerism. "I was only teasing."

"Ooh!" Finlee Finch squealed. "You really are adorable."

Finlee Finch herded Jayden into a room at the end of the hall, and patted Jayden tenderly on her back with two fingers. "Now wash up," Finlee Finch said, gently, "You are mighty filthy."

Jayden gave another beaming smile, and closed the door gently, but firmly, between her and the escort.

Jayden pressed her ear against the heavy door until she heard the clip-clop of high heels on wooden floor carrying the teetering woman away before she finally took a second look at her room. It was twice the size of the room she shared with Jellika, and probably worth a thousand times more. She stepped in further, and her footsteps almost echoed in the cavernous space. Jayden deliberately made her way towards a shimmery curtain that spanned a broad doorway in the back corner of her room, making sure not to accidentally knock over something precious during the journey.

As she passed a gaping, dark maw in the center of the wall to her left, lights suddenly sprang on, and Jayden fell back, shrieking. The strips of lights revealed a closet as big as her room back home, with a giant, slowly revolving rack in the center that held dozens of clothing of all colors. Jayden blinked at the sudden brightness, and stepped quietly away from the silent, revolving giant, which seemed to her more menacing than the train even was.

Jayden stepped away, making her way towards the curtain in the corner. At closer glance, the curtain seemed to be laced with silver thread. As Jayden approached the curtain, it split to either side to let her through, and Jayden jumped back at the sudden movement, heart pounding.

The curtain slid back into place innocuously, so once again, Jayden approached the doorway. She really wanted a Capitol shower, which she heard from her friends always had an unlimited supply of hot water. Jayden didn't believe this, of course, because where would anyone get hot water on a moving vehicle? But she knew she couldn't discount anything. The wealth she'd thus far witnessed was preposterous in its immensity, and she wouldn't be surprised if the showers were as good as she'd heard, so she had to see for herself.

Kicking her shoes off near the wall, Jayden stepped through the curtains and into the glossy bathroom. The floors were warm under her bare feet, varnished sandalwood, and the mosaic walls were polished and smooth. Jayden removed the rest of her clothes and laid them neatly folded on a nearby cool, steel shelf.

In one corner of the room was a snowy white, practically translucent toilet slightly elevated and illuminated with a skylight. In the other corner, was a glass booth frosted towards the bottom that grew more and more translucent as the glass came up and into the ceiling. It, too, was illuminated. Jayden supposed the Capitolians must really value their bodily functions.

In the shower, a flat, chrome circle, hung up high with a pole, with what seemed to be pores covering every inch of the side facing downwards, reflected Jayden's face back at her. The dark stone under Jayden's feet had a drain in one corner, and was warm under her bare feet, seeming to pulse with life. It made Jayden rather uncomfortable, as if she were standing on the back of a living beast. Along one mosaicked wall stood rows and rows of brightly colored buttons. Jayden pressed the blue-grey one and hoped for the best.

Streams of ice-cold water jetted down onto Jayden's back and the girl gasped, scrambling to one corner of the booth, where only the spray of the water off the warm stone floor could hit her. _They were all wrong. There's no way there can be hot water on a moving vehicle_, Jayden thought triumphantly. But the water was far too cold for it to have been naturally that way, either.

Pushing herself off the wall, Jayden accidentally elbowed a few more buttons. Steam shot from every side of the booth, clouding the glass and heating up the small space. The water from the faucet suddenly stopped, then started again in bursts of alternating hot and cold water. A spout appeared on the ceiling, and Jayden was doused with a clear, liquid gel. Sputtering, Jayden fell to the side, and in the process, brushed down an entire row of buttons. Immediately, a barrage of liquids and gels and scents violated Jayden's senses.

Jayden groped for the door, but could not find it. A few torturous minutes later, the violence ended, and Jayden was left standing under the steady stream of ice-cold water in the center of the booth. Sometime during the attack, the frosting had disappeared off the glass booth, leaving the glass completely transparent. Discomfited, Jayden quickly washed the last of the gunk off her body, and stepped out to grab a towel.

From a shelf revealed after she yanked the towel off its rack, Jayden found a row of lingerie. She was perturbed to find that they were all her size, as she tried them on, one by one. She'd never owned anything this lacy or this fancy before, so she picked the most comfortable pair, a nude cottony pair that at least covered up more than most did.

Approaching the closet again, Jayden was prepared this time when it lit up and began spinning. The rainbow of clothing circling around made Jayden dizzy, so she quickly reached in and grabbed a shirt that was slightly less vibrant than the others, and slipped the dusky pink, short sleeved t-shirt on over her head. Turning to the shelves on the side, Jayden opened a drawer and pulled out a pair of khaki knee shorts that lay on the very top. She wanted to get out of her room, which, as nice as it was, rather terrified her when she was alone. Jayden was also starving, and dinner sounded like the best thing in Panem.

Jayden made her way out through the hall and into the dining area. Frond was already tucking into his plate full of all sorts of Capitol delicacies that Jayden couldn't even name, while Finlee Finch stared on, disapproving at his lack of table manners. The two mentors sat quietly nearby. Savana Levon, the female mentor, was quiet because no one of importance, in her opinion, was watching her. The male mentor Garner Harrow sat in the corner, staring straight ahead with unseeing eyes. Jayden knew no matter which mentor decided to mentor her for her Games, he or she wouldn't be much help at all.

Finlee Finch squealed upon seeing the girl enter the room. She held a fluted glass in her left hand, and with her right, she beckoned Jayden to sit next to her. "Come, come, we were getting so hungry!" Finlee Finch glared at Frond. "As you can see, from your lovely district partner, who clearly could not wait for you to come to start eating."

Jayden understood Frond's impatience. The hunger that the boy had felt for every day of every year of his life was finally starting to be satiated, but he might only have at most another two weeks to enjoy this newfound feeling of fullness. "Don't worry, sweet," the girl said to the escort. "The Capitol food is just oh so good."

The escort simpered and bowed her head, as if bashful. Jayden slid onto the padded wooden chair next to Finlee Finch, and began piling food on her plate. She ladled a savory looking thick stew into her bowl, and helped herself to some bread still warm from the ovens. She then poured herself a glass of pink juice that seemed to match her shirt.

Jayden began with the bread. She ripped open a round, crusty piece with a soft, chewy middle, studded with slices of olive, and dipped it into the saucy, meaty stew. The first bite was heaven, and Jayden forced herself to slow down her bites after she finished the bread and the stew so that she seemed more civilized, and so she could enjoy the flavor of the food as well as the full feeling in her stomach.

Finlee Finch had been talking all this time, but Jayden tuned the bubbly escort out, savoring every bit of food she could. The crispy fish surged flavor into her mouth, and the raisins in the long, soft bread balanced out the pungent squares of cheese perfectly. The corn kernels spilled over the succulent lamb chops, bursting when Jayden bit down, sweet juice filling her mouth. She had started on the slightly spicy, thick noodles covered with egg and buttery spinach, with the side of creamy squash and scallops when she suddenly realized the mentors were trying to get her and Frond's attention.

Jayden's head snapped up to attention, and she stared at them both, slack jawed, food almost spilling out of her mouth, surprised that they were actually speaking to her. She quickly ducked her head and swallowed, following the mouthful with a swig of the syrupy pink juice, which Finlee Finch was quick to point out, was something called "grapefruit coconut" juice. The name didn't really matter to Jayden, because she had absolutely no idea what the fruits named were, and all she cared was that the drink was perfectly refreshing.

"Jayden, Frond. It's time to watch the Reapings. You both need to watch carefully to evaluate the true threat each tribute presents. Of course, we'll find out more about each as we go along this week, but starting as early as possible can only help," Garner said, staring into each of the tributes' eyes, "Savana and I have decided. I will mentor Jayden, and Savana will mentor Frond."

"Frond's…sexier," Savana drawled, "and I can work with that better than I can work with you."

Jayden smirked, not looking at her district partner. "That's the only thing you _can_ work with, isn't it?"

Savana's eyes flashed, reminding Jayden that the woman actually was dangerous. After all, in the Games, sponsors only took you so far, until all you had was yourself. Jayden looked down at her plate and steeled herself, before looking up again and articulating a soft apology. Savana nodded curtly at the diminutive girl, and turned back to Frond.

"You're attractive," Savana stated, bluntly. The boy blushed, and squirmed in his seat. The older woman sneered and shook her head. "No, I'm not attracted to you. No need to worry about that. But no doubt, the Capitol will find you absolutely delectable."

Jayden felt a light hand on her shoulder distracting her from listening in to Frond and Savana's conversation. She swung her head around to see Garner standing over her, gazing at her with doleful eyes. "Sit on the sofa with me," he instructed. Jayden nodded, and obliged, but not before she grabbed another three freshly baked rolls from the basket on the table.

When they'd finally settled in front of the television to watch the Reaping, it had already started. Jayden watched as the escort for District 1, a plasticized ageless woman who looked as if Jayden's closet on the train had thrown up on her, reached into the glass bowl, leaning forward so the camera could see all the way down her shirt to her bejeweled stomach. It was a pointless endeavor, because, as always, a blond girl and a blond boy stepped up to volunteer even before the cameras could find the faces of those actually reaped. Jayden felt a shot of jealousy run through her, wishing that she could have lived in a Career District and been secure enough to know that someone would volunteer for her no matter what. This year, however, had an interesting turn of events. The girl who had been reaped stepped out from the crowd as the blond girl who volunteered pushed her way to the stage.

Running forward, the reaped girl shouted, "Stop!"

The crowd had been clapping, but hearing the girl's voice, froze. Everyone was completely silent. "Stop." The reaped girl's voice was confident. "I don't accept the volunteer."

The escort peered through her rose-tinted glasses down at the girl, confused. "My name is Narcissa Abercrombie, and I accept my reaping. I don't need a volunteer."

The girl volunteer stared aghast as Narcissa pushed her aside and stood on the stage next to the escort, who seemed about to faint from the excitement. "You – you can't do that!" The volunteer sputtered.

"Actually," the escort tittered, "Narcissa can! Oh, congratulations to our girl tribute this year, Narcissa Abercrombie!"

The crowd burst into applause, and the Peacekeepers dragged the shrieking girl away. The boy volunteer, named Draco Minx, glared at Narcissa for taking the attention away from him. Narcissa smirked, and drank in the adoration.

"That was exciting," Finlee Finch said excitedly, off-screen. "I can't wait to see the next tributes."

Finlee Finch didn't have to wait long. The tributes from District 2, Basalt Plume, and Shalenne Strat, were huge, as usual. There was no problem in their volunteering, and everything went smoothly. People clapped, people cheered, and they stood stonily, flexing and posing.

District 3 actually had two decent-seeming tributes reaped. Jayden could see the fear in their eyes, but they both smiled, and grabbed each other's hands when they were meant to do so. Their names were Connie Baker and Boomer Corona.

"Nauta Duluth and Abel Brown from District 4!" the announcer boomed. Abel, a handsome, muscular boy with sun-bleached hair and tanned skin had volunteered, but Nauta had been reaped. She was a smaller girl, about Jayden's age, and had let a tear slip out of her eyes before she finally caught herself.

By that time, Jayden had torn through the first roll in her lap, a cheese covered and slightly sweet swirl of feathery bread. The savory cheese slightly burnt and bubbling on the surface complimented the fragrant bread perfectly. In deciding which bread to eat second, Jayden missed the Reapings for district 5 and district 6. She chose the seaweed flour sticky bun in time to look up and see the Reapings for District 7. By then, Jayden had mostly forgotten the names of the tributes from the first four districts.

Garner quietly caught Jayden up. "The girl from District 6 was strong, but both from District 5 seemed weak and the boy from District 6 seemed to be a morphling addict."

Jayden wondered how Garner knew what morphling addicts were like, but decided it would be best not to ask. "It's best not to underestimate any of them, though, and not to overestimate any of the Careers. Keep an open mind all throughout this week. First impressions rarely are right," Garner continued. "Especially in the Games. Even the training scores given out by the Gamemakers are something to be wary of. Tomorrow, after we're all better rested, we'll discuss whether we want your strategy to be to hide your skills or to show off as much as possible so that the Careers don't pick you out as a target for the Bloodbath."

Jayden nodded, and turned her attention back onto the screen, having lost her appetite thinking about her impending death. The bread she'd saved for last had chunks of mushroom, meat, and green onion kneaded into the dough, but was left growing cold and shiny with grease in her hand.

Onscreen, the announcer finished effusing about District 8, and suddenly, Finlee Finch was onscreen. The escort off-screen screeched and sat forward in her seat, pointing angrily at the television. "Why did no one tell me about that _blemish_ on my nose?"

Both Savana and Garner stared at the overly excited woman until she calmed down. Jayden ignored them all completely, watching herself to see her reaction, and to see how the others would perceive her. Jayden saw that the cameras had found her, but that past-Jayden had barely had time to react to the news before the cameras shifted to the man in the back who had bet on her being reaped. Jayden smirked to see him dragged away by the Peacekeepers again, and the point of interest shifted back to past-Jayden's face.

Scrutinizing her reaction, Jayden decided that she looked impassible enough. She remembered the shock and the fear racing through her as she struggled to rearrange her features into one that didn't blatantly show terror, and it seemed as if she had more or less succeeded. Shock registered on past-Jayden's face when Frond's name was called, but other than the man being arrested and Finlee Finch asking her to pick the boy tribute's name, nothing made Jayden stick out in particular as a tribute. Jayden was relieved, and sitting back, she began eating her last roll.

Each district's tributes after that seemed more and more malnourished as the district numbers got higher. The district 11 boy seemed well fed, but he was the kind of well fed that didn't mean muscular. After the Reapings ended, a past Hunger Game immediately began playing. Jayden felt nauseous, but she wasn't sure if that was because of the blood suddenly splattering the screen in front of her, or because of the excess of rich food she'd just consumed.

Savana and Garner saw how their charges were slumped over, eyes barely open. Savana spoke up first. "Why don't you two get to bed and have some rest?" she asked, more amiable than Jayden ever thought she would be capable of being.

Frond smiled at his mentor, and nodded sleepily. The two tributes stood up almost simultaneously, and headed towards the door. At the end of the hall, before the two split into their rooms, Frond called to Jayden, "Good night."

Jayden stiffened, and clenched her jaw. Then, she relaxed. Sighing, she turned and lifted her hand half-heartedly at him. "Good night, Frond."


End file.
